Iran must heed world community: Medvedev

German Chancellor Angela Merkel talks as she walks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev through the garden of the government guest house Meseberg Palace in Meseberg, about 70 kilometers north on Berlin on Friday. Merkel and Medvedev met for regular bilateral talks. Photo: AP

Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday he hoped an “irresponsible” Iran would heed the world community after the U.N. Security Council permanent members agreed a draft sanctions resolution.

“The situation is this: an agreement on sanctions exists,” said Mr. Medvedev in Germany after talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“We hope that the voice of the international community is heard by Iranian leadership. Such expressions of irresponsible behaviour cannot be continued. What is said internationally needs to be listened to. Only this way can the most complex tasks be solved,” he said.

The comments came after the five permanent Security Council members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France — agreed on a new draft resolution that includes fresh sanctions against Iran over the Islamic republic's sensitive nuclear programme.

The White House said on Thursday it was confident the Council would back toughened sanctions on Iran in the next week.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday “paralysing sanctions” had been purged from a new draft resolution to take into account “the economic interests” of Moscow and Beijing.

Ms. Merkel, whose country is part of a six-nation group negotiating with Iran and who has been strident in her calls for more sanctions, said the draft resolution represented “great progress on the diplomatic front”.